Privacy Policy© Jayco Australia
Australia is a vast country, and with that comes a wide range of magical underwater experiences and opportunities from free diving and scuba diving to snorkelling.
Our Jayco Vanbassador, Australian surfer and marine biologist, Brinkley Davies shares her top diving spots across the country.
Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia
An obvious, maybe slightly bias first choice for me, as I do live here, but the diversity of the underwater world is unrivalled for those who love marine wildlife.
Between March and July, the reef is alive with whale sharks, amongst other marine megafauna. August onwards is the annual migration of humpback whales from their feeding grounds in Antarctica, coming north to give birth and nurse their young.
Jumping on an all-day tour is the best way to see it all in safe hands. I would suggest Coral Bay if you love Manta Rays. Simply snorkelling off the beach off the west side of the Ningaloo, you are likely to see turtles, small reef sharks, octopus and other beautiful sea creatures. My best recommendations are Ningaloo Marine Interactions in Coral Bay, and Kings Reef in Exmouth for whale sharks.
Port Lincoln, South Australia
Port Lincoln is a place I used to live and work, so I know it very well. It is magical as it has a great range of diving opportunities for everyone.
Heading out for a swim with the sea lions is one of my favourite things to do. They are such curious, intelligent and beautiful animals who are full of character and love playing around in the water while you watch.
If you love sharks as much as I do, you may want to jump on a Great White Shark cage dive tour out at the Neptune Islands, which is a two-hour boat ride from Port Lincoln. For both of these experiences I recommend Adventure Bay Charters.
Whyalla, South Australia
Point Lowly, just out of Whyalla, is one of my favourite places to snorkel or free dive in the cooler months. I love seeing the annual cuttlefish migration, which is one of the most amazing experiences with marine life that I have had.
You simply snorkel a few metres offshore, and in June and July there are quite literally thousands of these amazing animals there to breed. Their colour and camouflage displays are like nothing else.
Magnetic Island, Queensland
Magnetic Island and Townsville both offer some amazing shipwreck dives offshore, which are really unique. The Museum of Underwater Art is a favourite and it features a Coral Greenhouse situated at 20 metres below. This is a beautiful mix of art, science and history and it makes for a super interesting dive!
I also highly recommend the SS Yongala, which is shipwreck that is more than a century old that laid undiscovered for over 50 years. It is now a coral encrusted home to an abundance of marine life including sea sneaks, giant gropers, eagle rays, Maori wrasse and much more. Adrenalin Dive is an amazing tour guide and can take you to both of these sites.
Jurien Bay, Western Australia
Jurien Bay, just two hours north of Perth, is another great location as it features my favourite pinnipeds, Australia sea lions. Turquoise Safaris are the people to go with in this area. They are amazing guides and super passionate about protecting this area and the wildlife.
With all Australian diving and snorkelling activities, or any experiences with marine life, always remember to leave no trace. Report any injured or entangled animals as soon as you can. Most importantly, when in the water, never chase marine life. Always let animals come to you, they will if they want to!
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